Culture & Identity of Ecuador
Introduction
Ecuador is a country quickly moving into the modern era, but this shift in culture and way of life is only being undertaken by a portion of the population, generally the wealthier fraction living in the cities. In more rural areas the way of life still reflects a more traditional lifestyle as the people truly live off the land.
In many rural settings the whole family may work the fields as farmers, especially during the summer months (about November to February) when schools are off and the fields need the most work. For those who live in the cities, about two-thirds of the population, the work done is divided into numerous sectors and in there is a substantial wage gap.
Work and school begin as early as 7:00 am in Ecuador, but in most placed don't start until about 9:00 am. In cities this later start time is especially true and most office jobs will work through the day, only having a short lunch, so workers are finished at about 5:00 pm. For other occupations and in more rural settings there is a long lunch break during the hottest hours of the day, then work starts back up and continues until 8:00 or 9:00 pm. Once the work day or school day (which usually ends at about lunch time so they can eat at home) is over, most people get home as they arrived, via public transportation in the cities and by bike or on foot in other locations.